Newport Attractions
Astors Beechwood © shields8
Astor’s Beechwood
Just one of about a dozen summer mansions of the rich, built in
the 19th and early 20th centuries, and that is open to the public
in Newport's 'Cottage District', is Beechwood, former holiday home
of the Astor family. Mrs Caroline Astor, doyenne of the homestead,
was recognised as having the definitive word on who was and was not
socially acceptable in Newport high society, and she was credited
as being the architect of the famed '400 List' of acceptable folk
that is still given credence in some quarters today. Being invited
to Beechwood was a sure stamp of approval; today it is open to the
public staffed by a troupe of actors who recreate scenes from the
gilded age. Roarin' Twenties Tours celebrate Newport during the
Jazz Age, while Victorian Tours take guests back to life in
1891.
Address: 580 Bellevue Avenue;
Website: www.astors-beechwood.com;
Telephone: (401) 846 3772;
Opening time: Daily with tours every 30 minutes from 10am to 4pm (Mid-May to October). Dates and times vary depending on the season. During November and December various Christmas events are scheduled;
Admission: Living History Tours: $20 (adults), $8 (children 6-17); other concessions available
